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Friday, October 25, 2013

"The AP-NORC Center poll found 55 percent of those 50 and older who have sought a job in the past five years characterized their search as difficult, and 43 percent thought employers were concerned about their age. Further, most in the poll reported finding few available jobs (69 percent), few that paid well (63 percent) or that offered adequate benefits (53 percent). About a third were told they were overqualified."

Thursday, October 24, 2013

BOSTON – Wednesday, October 23, 2013 – Building off record investments made by the Patrick Administration in Veterans Services, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) today announced it has more than doubled cash grants available to employers hiring Massachusetts residents who have been unemployed for 6 months or more, or Massachusetts veterans (regardless of length of unemployment). Increased grant funding is available through the state's Hiring Incentive Training Grant (HITG), a program of the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund.

"This grant program is a valuable incentive for employers who want to boost their workforce but may need additional resources to add new hires," said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Joanne F. Goldstein. "Through this program, we are supporting the long-term unemployed and veterans looking for work as we encourage companies to grow their business and workforce in Massachusetts."

Any for-profit company and non-profit organization that contributes to the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund, a state fund enacted in 1998, are encouraged to apply. Eligible employers may now apply for grants of $5,000 for each new hire who meets the Hiring Incentive Training Grant program requirements. Employers may receive up to $75,000 each calendar year. Upon approval, payment will be available to the employer once the new hire has retained employment for at least 120 days.

A copy of the Hiring Incentive Training Grant application, eligibility requirements, Frequently Asked Questions and other relevant materials are available at EOLWD's website www.mass.gov/hiringgrant. Grant awards are subject to funding availability, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Prior to October 2013, awarded eligible employers received no more than $2,000 per new hire, and no more than $30,000 per calendar year through the previous guidelines of the Hiring Incentive Training Grant. The increased grant funding through the Hiring Inventive Training Grant is one of many business resources promoted by the Patrick Administration to assist companies growing or expanding in Massachusetts.

The Hiring Incentive Training Grant is part of the Workforce Training Fund Program, managed by the Commonwealth Corporation, which provides resources for employers to better train Massachusetts workers. Recently, EOLWD announced approximately $2.8 million in Workforce Training Fund grants, totaling more than $15.6 million in grants awarded by the Patrick Administration since July 2012 to help train over 15,400 Massachusetts employees in the last year alone. The priorities of the Workforce Training Fund include projects, which will lead to increased job retention or job growth, increased wages, more productive and competitive companies, improved ability to do business in Massachusetts and commitments to increased private investment in training.

"The Workforce Training Fund has proven to be a remarkable resource to Massachusetts businesses looking to address their business needs," said Nancy Snyder, President and CEO of Commonwealth Corporation. "We encourage all businesses, regardless of size, to contact us to learn more about the Workforce Training Fund and training grants that are available."

Increased funding available through the Hiring Incentive Training Grant is another example of the Patrick Administration's commitment to supporting Massachusetts veterans. The Administration is a leading provider for veteran services and continues to implement employment assistance and workforce training programs for veterans. In addition to providing priority service for veterans at each of the Department of Career Services' One-Stop Career Centers, the Administration also launched an aggressive employment campaign focused on increasing the hiring of Massachusetts veterans. Among these initiatives, the Patrick Administration has partnered with major trade associations to encourage them to hire veterans, circulate information on veterans' benefits and educate local employers about the skills service members gain the military.

Today's announcement is more welcomed news within the veteran community, especially in advance of Veteran's Day and the Patrick Administration's annual "Hire a Vet Month" that will be celebrated throughout November.

"Employment is a critical component for a veteran's successful transition back into civilian life," said Secretary of Veterans Services Coleman Nee. "Massachusetts leads the nation in veterans' services, and with this increased incentive we will continue to lead the way while maximizing both public and private sector resources to ensure we provide our veterans with the employment opportunities they have earned."

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Who
Wegmans Food Market, Sheraton Hotels, Rite Aid, Eliot Community Home Services & Comcast Cable are just a few of the companies that will be meeting with attendees at the Boston Job Fair on Thursday, November 7th. For more information and to register for the job fair, go to www.premiumjobfairs.com

What
1) FREE ADMISSION!
2) Bring at least 20 copies of your resume
3) Dress professionally and be ready to interview
4) Come with a positive winning attitude – It will make a difference!
5) Arrive at the Job Fair no later than 11 AM

Friday, October 18, 2013

Hello Everyone, The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be a Panel Discussion led by Robert Dandrade. The facilitator for this week will be Laura Startzenbach. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads.Important Note: We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM. In the second hour, Robert Dandrade will lead the Panel Discussion on "Finding a Job That Fits When You are Older Than 50 ."

Finding a Job That Fits When You are Older Than 50

A panel comprised of professionals who have a wide range of diverse experiences and knowledge in the job search and hiring. The panel consists of a Career Advisor, Recruitment Vice President, Human Resources Director, and a former Sales and Marketing Executive.

Recap of HNG Meeting of October 4, 2013:

Our 108th meeting of HNG had 26 people, this is 13 less than the previous meeting; 3 signed the New Member list. William Lam was our facilitator. There were 5 introduction speeches.

We had an Interview Workshop which went extremely well. Each person was both an interviewee and interviewer. We started off by someone was selected to be interviewed and selected an interview question from the jar/can of interview questions. The person was asked the question by the interviewer and his / her response was analyzed by the group with possible suggestions for a better response. The person selected to be interviewed now became the interviewer and selected someone to be interviewed, and the process is continued until everyone had a chance to conduct both roles.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

October 18, 2013 Panel Discussion "Finding a Job That Fits When You are Older Than 50"November 1, 2013 TBD

General Information

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know: * Name * Skills and Value Statement * Where have you been? * Where are you going? * Your title * Your target companies * Geography of search * Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions: Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is: St. John the Evangelist 20 Church Street Hopkinton, MA 01748

Friday, October 4, 2013

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be an Interview Workshop. The facilitator for this week will be William Lam. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs and Leads.

Important Note: We are going to start the meeting on time at 10:00 AM. In the second hour, William will conduct an "Interview Workshop."

After a number of months with speakers, it is time for a break. We have had an Interview Workshop a few times in the past, and it was always enlightening, rewarding and fun.

Interview Workshop

Each person will be both an interviewee and interviewer. We start off by someone is selected to be interviewed and selects an interview question from the jar/can of interview questions. The person is asked the question by the interviewer and his / her response is analyzed by the group with possible suggestions for a better response. The person selected to be interviewed now becomes the interviewer and selects someone to be interviewed, and the process is continued until everyone has had a chance to conduct both roles.

Recap of HNG Meeting of September 20, 2013:

Our 107th meeting of HNG had 39 people, this is 7 more than the previous meeting; 12 signed the New Member list. Gil Krispien was our facilitator. There were 6 introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, David Lashua,who talked about "LinkedIn Search Optimization." He gave an exceptional talk which many enjoyed. I invited him to come back during the January - February timeframe.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

October 18, 2013 Panel Discussion
"Finding a Job That Fits When You are Older Than 50"

General Information

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748